Mad Radish promises Canadians food that tastes as great as it makes you feel
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OTTAWA, July 14, 2017 /CNW/ - Can a meal taste as good as it makes you feel? That's the challenge that has been dogging DAVIDsTEA founder David Segal for years. Constantly on-the-go, David found it next-to-impossible to find healthy dining options that inspired his palate. And so in 2016, David left DAVIDsTEA with a mission: create crave-worthy, healthy food for people on the go. The result? Mad Radish, a new chain of salad shops that launches today in Ottawa.

A selection of salads from Mad Radish. The new brand of salad shops by DAVIDsTEA founder, David Segal, launches today in Ottawa. (CNW Group/Mad...

"It's time to raise the bar on salads," says Segal. "We shouldn't have to choose between food that tastes good and food that feels good. The healthy food category deserves the creativity, respect and investment that have been poured into hamburgers for decades. We're making those investments - you're going to see it in our beautiful locations, in our mouth-watering menu, and in our entire dining experience."

Segal describes Mad Radish as "ingredient-focused and chef-driven". The company's Head Chef, Nigel Finley, ran high-end kitchens at some of Toronto's top fine dining restaurants before bringing his culinary ingenuity to the Mad Radish team.

The result? A seasonal menu that, at launch, includes 12 cold salads, three warm bowls and two soups, along with bread baked in-house and beverages that are made fresh daily. Highlights of the salad offerings include:

The Brassica: Get in touch with your cruciferous side with this crisp mix of broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and leafy greens, with creamy broccoli puree and savory cashew "parmesan."

Food will be prepared fresh on-site, from corn cut off the cob in the restaurant to produce prepped fresh every day. Salads can be taken to go or enjoyed right in the salad shop. A Mad Radish app, and online ordering at madradish.com, will enable pre-orders, for faster service.

"We're setting out to change perceptions of what a salad - and a salad restaurant - can be." Segal concludes. "Eating healthy food doesn't have to feel like taking your medicine anymore."

Mad Radish will also invest back into the communities in which it operates. Through a partnership with Community Food Centres Canada, one serving of fresh produce is donated to a local community food centre every time an order is placed through the Mad Radish app or website.

Canada's first two Mad Radish locations are both in Ottawa, at 100-­116 Albert Street and 859 Bank Street. Expansion to additional markets across Canada will follow. Learn more about Mad Radish online at madradish.com, on Instagram and Twitter @eatmadradish and Facebook at www.facebook.com/eatmadradish.